


Can't Make You Love Me

by SoQuentessential



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Broken Heart, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Character Death, F/M, First one shot on AO3, Gen, Get your tissues ready, If this is crap I'm sorry, OC is an idiot who thinks shes doing whats right, Pandora Radio made me do it, Please be nice its been a minute, Really sad happens when I listen to sad music, Sad Ending, Sorry to disappoint this is angsty, bucky has a big heart, supposed to be doing homework wrote this instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoQuentessential/pseuds/SoQuentessential
Summary: Bucky finds love in an unexpected place. OC teaches him how to love again. OC has been keeping a secret that will have devastating consequences.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Can't Make You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> Let me start by saying thank you for clicking and giving my one shot a try. It's been awhile since I've written anything and actually posted it online. This is my second attempt at posting a fic on AO3. Not Beta'd all mistakes are my own. Let me know what you think. I didn't mean for it to get so sad but thats what happens when you listen to sad love songs. For some reason I pictured Bucky as the main when writing this he fit perfectly. This is my first real dive into Marvel as far as writing.

_9 months ago_ . . . .

**T** hey met by accident; it wasn’t planned. They were both in a grocery store. Bucky was still becoming more and more comfortable being around other people and crowds. Grocery stores weren’t notoriously known for being too crowded unless it was the weekends and holiday season. She was on an aisle reaching for something on a shelf a tad too tall for her reach and he was walking down said aisle looking for oatmeal of all things. He was able to stop the box from falling and hitting her in the face. She smiled at him and gave him her thanks and continued on with her shopping. They happened to bump into one another again in the dairy section and Bucky decided to spark a conversation with her and the rest was history.

They had been dating for three months now and things seemed to be going wonderfully. Bucky had joined Steve on field ops slowly getting back out there and still making time to have occasional dates with her. On this particular day Bucky was unable to reach her. He kept ringing her phone and kept getting voicemail. He went to her apartment hoping to catch her there but no answer and with his enhanced hearing he could here no movement or hear anyone breathing inside. She was seated on a bench in the middle of a park. It was a cloudy day which reflected her mood perfectly. ‘Why her?’ she thought. Everything was just starting to look up and then bam bad news. She had a doctor’s appointment earlier that day and the news she received wasn’t the greatest. She was enjoying the cool weather and just reflecting on some things. She had decided right then and there she knew what she had to do.

They had just hit the six-month mark and Bucky was ecstatic. He was truly happy with her and knew what he felt in his heart he just didn’t know how to tell her how he felt. They had taken their relationship to the next level a few months ago and he would stay the night over sometimes and could see himself holding her and growing together maybe get married have a little one once they finished exterminating Hydra off the map. They were laying in bed having spent the night together and Bucky was just enjoying the feel of her in his arms. His nightmares were less and less now so he didn’t have fears that he would harm her in any way. On days he didn’t feel like he could keep it at bay he just didn’t sleep over. She was asleep with her head on his chest. He just laid there listening to her even breathing and just thinking about the future. He slowly slid her off him and went to relieve himself and start some coffee. They both were avid coffee drinkers in the mornings. She woke up a little disoriented at first. She was use to this, as it was a normal thing now. His spot was still warm so he hadn’t been gone long. Getting up she wandered into the kitchen to see Bucky putting toast on two plates with sides of eggs and coffee mugs on the counter. “I was just going to surprise you.” Bucky said grinning at her. Today was the day he would tell her how he felt. She just looked at him. “Baby what’s wrong?” he moved to her side immediately. She looked up at him gave him a small smile and shook her head. “Nothing you didn’t have to do all this?” she told him. “Eh, its nothing wanna sit at the table or the bar?” He asked her so he knew where to place their plates. “The bar is fine.” She moved to take a seat there. He began to move their plates and coffee. They ate in relative silence when Bucky silently uttered “I love you” and she just looked at him. He acted all nonchalant like it was nothing. But inside he was a nervous wreck wondering how she would respond back. She then acted like she heard nothing and continued to eat her breakfast. Things continued as they always had he would stay over and hold her until the morning and utter how he loved her and hear no response. He thought maybe she just wasn’t there yet but he wanted her to know that he was. She would come around eventually he would think to himself.

It now had been eight and a half months since they first got together and she never uttered a word to him back on her feelings. He became used to his but wouldn’t admit to her how much it hurt. He felt as though even though she wouldn’t utter the words he could feel her love for him through their lovemaking. He tried to but realized he couldn’t make her love him. He didn’t know what it was he was doing wrong but he just couldn’t get her to say the words back.

_I can’t make you love me if you don’t_

_You can’t make your heart feel something that it won’t_

_Here in the dark in these final hours I will lay down my heart_

_And feel the power if you want_

_No, you won’t_

_\- Tank (I Can't Make You Love Me)_

He couldn’t continue to do this to himself so he woke up early one morning held her close to him and relished the feel of her in his arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and slowly woke her up. “Mornin” he spoke to her as she rubbed her eyes slowly waking up. He was trying to keep his feelings close to his chest but she was the first person he had dated and given himself to after regaining who he was before the winter soldier. “Morning” she spoke back to him. Sitting up in the bed she mirrored his position sitting up against the headboard. She knew this was coming it was only a matter of time. She couldn’t help it though no matter how hard she tried. “I just want to understand, I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I just can’t seem to get you to love me back. But yet you stay with me knowing you don’t love me why?” He asked her he knew this wasn’t right to ambush her first thing in the morning but he needed to know so therefore he could base his decision on her answer. She just looked over at him as if she didn’t understand what he was talking about or where this was coming from. “I’m just not there yet and don’t know when I will be.” She responded to him. He looked as if she slapped him across the face in actuality she had. She had basically told him she didn’t love him doesn’t know if she ever will and he can’t make her love him. He just nodded his head got out the bed grabbed his things and walked out. She was hurt but knew it had to be done. She sat there just staring in the direction he had left.

_2 weeks later_ …..

Bucky hasn’t reached out to her hoping she would reach out to him. He basically left the ball in her court to decided what happens next. He’s sitting in the common room with Steve and Sam watching some movie when in walks Tony with a letter for him.

_Bucky,_

_If this letter finds you then I’m so sorry. I know you may hate or dislike me but just know I did what I did for you. You came out of nowhere and surprised me when I hadn’t even been looking for a relationship. You were a bright star on a very dark and dreary night. The sun shining bright after the clouds have let out their feelings. Just know that I cherished every moment we spent together and for taking the time to choose me to be with after everything you’ve endured. You deserve nothing but the best and I hope you find someone who will give you everything your want and are looking for. I’m sorry that it wasn’t me who could do that for you. I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for letting you think your feelings weren’t reciprocated. I want to let you know you are my one great love in life. I just got dealt a bad hand. Three months into us dating I had a doctor’s appointment; you may remember back then I was a little distant for a few days. Well, the doctor delivered news to me that I had brain cancer and it was inoperable. I was given 9 months to a year to live. I should’ve broken things off with you then but I was too selfish to do so. I wanted to feel something good even though everything else felt awful. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to burden you with what I was going through when there was nothing that could be done to fix it. I just want to thank you for loving me and giving me your heart. You were the best part of these last 9 months._

_I love you and always will forever._

Bucky was in shock he didn’t know how to take this. He hadn’t even realized he was crying until Steve and Sam mentioned it to him. “What’s wrong man?” They’d both been asking him for the last 10 minutes. He couldn’t believe what he had read. He went to his room to grab his phone and came back to the common room. Dialing her number, it went to voicemail. He dialed it again and again hoping to hear her voice come on the line. But he never got an answer. She had passed away the day Bucky read the letter. She knew she was limited on time and once he left and never returned, she took that time to write a letter and asked the post office to hold it to be mailed for 2 weeks. The day the letter was delivered she never woke up from her sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for reading. If the OC would have just been upfront with Bucky who knows what will have changed. Ending was inevitable sadly. I tried to give subtle hints like her being disoriented. Temporary memory loss and not understanding what is being said at a point. Poor Bucky is crushed. I may do a second part showing Bucky afterwards, don't hold me to it though. Back to my assignment due tomorrow I need to complete.


End file.
